Illuminating device for life-lines.



J. C. CERICOLA.

ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR LIFELINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1916.

iatented Jan. 30, 1917.

m. M V. 0 W m J 4 6 WITNESSES ED STATES PATENT ornion. v

JOSEPH c. OEnIooLA,.or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF ronENnY M. r TAYLOR, or MOUNT SINAI, new Y RK.

v ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR LIFE-LIIF'ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. so, 1917.

Application filed June 21, 1916. Serial No. 104,986.

, projectile used on life lines so as to disclose whether or not the life line passes over a stranded s ip when the projectile has been fired from a gun.

Another object in view is to provide an illuminating device which will almost instantly become ignited upon the pull of the projectile against the same.

A still further ob ect 1n view is to provide anilluminating device with illuminat-' ing material carried adjacent the rear of the projectile and ignited by a chemical mixing therewith or by a friction cap, the arrangement being such that the illuminating ma.- terial will project a flame to the rear of the projectile during its flight.

In the accompanying drawing :-Figure 1 is a side view of a complete projectile and illuminating device connected up. Fig. 2 is a sectional View through Fig. 1 on line 22, the same being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a side view of part of the projectile and part of the illuminating device, certain portions being broken away. Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 2 on line 4-4. Fig. 5 is a plan View of a fulminating or friction cap embodying certain features ofv theinvention. Fig. 6 is a section through Fig. 5 on line 6-6.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates an ordinary proj ectile used in guns designed to throw a life line to a stranded ship, the line usually being connected to the projectile. In the present invention, however, the life line 2' is tied to the eye 3 forming part of the device, instead of to theprojectile, said eye forming part of a rod 4, which rod is threaded into or otherwise rigidly secured to the projectile, as shown in Fig. 2. The eye 3 is provided with a plurality of lugs 5 acting as guides for an eye or loop 6, which eye or loop is intended to slide back and fort in the eye-3. The rope or life line 2 is looped -over the eye or loop '6 when it is passed through the eye 3 so that the pull produced by the projectile 1 when the same is forced out of the gun will cause the line 2 to jerk the loop or eye 6 and move the same longitudinally of eye 3.

The eye 6 is rigidly secured to or formed integral with a block 7, which block in turn is formed integral with or rigidly secured to rods 8 and 9 slidingly fitting in grooves 10 and-11 formed in the rod 4. Rods 8 and 9 extend for almost the full length of rod 4 and are looped over a safety bar 12 and also over a container 13. The container 13 may be of glass or any other fragile material and is arranged to contain a chemical which, mixed with the chemical 14 in the casing 15, will produce a flame, the chemical in the container 13 igniting the chemical l4 and the flame lasting until the matter 14 has been consumed, which is only fora few seconds.

However, this is long enough to see where the projectile has gone and whether or not the same has passed over the stranded ship. By looping the ends of rods 8 and 9 over the container 13 said rods will break the container and thereby spill the chemical contained therein into the chemical or matter 14. As soon as the projectile 1 leaves the gun the projectile will move through the air and the life line 2 will resist such movement, thus causing a pull on the rods 8 and 9.

The bar 12 is for safety when handling the entire device and may be made from any I ilfltellal, as for lnstance, a soft copper rod.

he that this small rod will easily bend and allow the looped end of rods '8 and 9 to quickly break the container 13. It will be observed'that the container 13 is fitted in an aperture in rod 12 while the rod 4 is fitted in an aperture adjacent to the container 13, these members being held in position merely by friction. The container-15 in which the matter 14 is arranged may be made from any suitable material and provided with an end member 16 held in place by friction until the rod 4 has been connected to the projectile, It will be observed that the pro: jectile can be connected or'disconnected at any time and that when the projectile is disconnected the container may be reloaded in case the same is empty.

One end ofthe container'l5'is provided with av spider structure 17 merging into a pull on the rods 8 and 9 is so great is provided and arranged 'inposition so as to cover the openings in the spider under normal conditions, said cap being held in place by a ring 21 fitting a flange 22 which overlaps part of the cap, as shown in Fig. 2.

r The heat and flame from the burning chemi- "breaking of the fragile container 13.

'cals will quickly burn away the cap so that the light will be projected from the device shortly after the beginning of its flight. The size of the container 15 may be varied so as to carry more or less matter 1& in order to cause the flame to .burn to a greater or less extent.

In some instances it is desired to eliminate the fragile container 13 and thechemical therein and substitute a friction cap' as shown in Fig. 6. When it is desired to do this a sleeve or annular member 25 is provided which is slidingly fitted on to the rod 4% so as to occupy substantially the same position as the fragile member 13, and the rods 8 and 9 connected to wires 26 and 27, respectively, which wires extend into tubular members 28 and 29 and properly contact with the matter 30 in these tubular members so that when the rods 8 and 9 are pulled the Wires will also be pulled and matter 30 caused to produce a flame, which flame, projecting into matter 14, will ignite the same. The friction cap shown in Figs.v

5 and 6 may be varied in construction without departing from the spirit of the inven'-' tion and the matter 30 may also be varied provided that when the Wires 26 and 27 are pulled a flame will be produced.

In operation, when the parts are arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the device is in condition for use. is tied substantially as shown in Fig. 1 and the projectile is placed in the cannon' in the usual manner anddischarged in the direction desired. After the projectile leaves the cannon it turns over shortly after it begins its flight and will then pull on the life line 2, which line will naturally resist such pulling to a certain extent, and will thereby jerk the eye or loop 6 and cause a longitudinal movement of the rods 8 and 9 and thereby a bending of the rod- 12 and flame is thus'produced which will be projected'through the spider 20 after the celluloid cap has been burned away. This flame is at the rear of the projectile and may be easily seen from the shoreso that the travel of the projectile and the life line may be readily followed. If the line goes over the ship the work has been properly done but an if the linelshouldmiss the ship such fact The rope or'life line 2 1. In an illuminating device for life lines,

the combination with a projectile, of a casing arrangedat the rear of the projectile and conforming to the shape of the projectlle so as to produce an extension thereof, a rod extending through said casing and into the projectile, said rod being secured to the projectile, an inflammable matter arranged in said casing, a pair of sliding rods arranged on the opposite sides of said first mentioned rod, means operated by said rods when moved in one direction for causing .the inflammable matter to be ignited, a safety device acting on the lastcmentioned rods for preventing said last mentioned rods from operating the means for igniting the inflammable matter, and 'means connected withsaid sliding rods for-causing the life line to jerk the sliding rods a'predetermined distance when the projecfile has been dis charged before the life ine engages said first mentioned rod.

2. In an illuminating device for life lines, a rod, a casing connected with said rod and adapted to contain an inflammable matter, a fragile container arranged in said casing and adapted to contain a chemical which when mixed with said matter will produce a flame, a pair of sliding rods connected with said fragile container, and means for connecting said rods-with a life line whereby when the life line pulls the rods will be moved longitudinally and said fragile container broken. r

3. In an illuminating device for life lines, a container adapted to receive combustible matter, a rod for receiving the life line, a sliding member adapted to be moved by the life line before the same engages said rod, and means set in motion by said sliding member for causing an ignition of said combustible matter.

4. In an illuminating device for life lines, the combination with a projectile, of a casing conforming to the shape and size of the projectile arranged at the rear of the projectile, said casing containing an inflammablesubstance, a rod connected to the projectile for receiving the life line, means arranged in the casing for igniting said ,sub- .stance, and a sliding member adapted to be a rod adapted to be connected with a projectile and-a life line, said rod having a pair of grooves therein, a rod arranged in each of said grooves, a casing surrounding part of said first mentioned rod, said casing containing an inflammable matter, a fragile container connected with said first mentioned rod and arranged so as to contact with said inflammable matter, said container inclosing a chemical which when mixed with said inflammable matter will produce a flame, said rods and said grooves having loops at one end, said loops surrounding said container, whereby when said rods are 1( moved longitudinally insaid grooves said container will be broken, and means for connecting said rods with said life line so that when the projectile is projected through the air the resistance of the life line will be 1:

against said means in order that said rods will be moved longitudinally.

- JOSEPH O. CERICOLA. 

